Private Outdoor Guiding

Customized Outdoor Climbing Experiences

Hiring a private Vermont climbing guide can introduce you to the world of outdoor rock climbing, ice climbing, and mountain sports or take your skills to the next level. Climbers and skiers often hit plateaus that will eventually be broken through with time, but private climbing instruction can eliminate some of the trial and error processes and help you focus on better climbing technique, providing immediate feedback and general education to your specific needs. Private climbing instruction can be reserved any day of the week. We require at least 10 days notice to book private guides: please reach out well in advance of your desired dates.

Private Guiding Rates

Full Day Rates (7 hours, 9am-4pm)

Number of People & Cost Per Person

1: $350 per person

2: $250 per person

3: $225 per person

4+: $175 per person

*Out of state (NH, NY) add $45

Half Day Rates (4 hours)

Number of People & Cost Per Person

1: $235 per person

2: $175 per person

3: $165 per person

4+: $130 per person

*VT destinations only

Larger Objective/Remote Cliff (8+ hours)

Number of People & Cost Per Person

1: $425 per person

2: $310 per person

Examples: Lake Willoughby, Cannon, Poke-O

Discounts available:

Petra Cliffs Members: 10% off, use code MEMBER10
Booking multiple consecutive days: first day full price, then 10% off additional days
Returning guests: refer a new guest and receive $25 off a future guided day

7 Reasons to Hire a Climbing Guide

Guides have training, experience, & professionalism; they adhere to industry standards & quality

  • Guides are rigorously trained and certified: look for an AMGA (American Mountain Guides Association) certification. AMGA Certified Guides undergo intense training and examination. Certification by the AMGA indicates that an individual has been assessed to the standard of an internationally recognized, professional body. By hiring a guide you get professionalism, comprehensive knowledge, industry approved best practices, and high quality experiences.

Guides give you attention & tailored learning

  • By hiring a private guide you get a personalized experience and your guides full attention. This means you can ask all the questions you want (there are no silly questions!) and that your guide can adapt instruction to fit your goals, skills, and learning style. 

Guides provide you with education, confidence, good habits, & tricks of the trade

  • Hiring a private guide means you are getting the best education from the finest teachers: this means you can build skills and develop good habits with the confidence that you are learning the very best industry standards and recommendations, not to mention tricks of the trade from guides with years of experience. 

Guides have valuable local knowledge & beta, which means the best use of your time

  • Guides have immense local knowledge and can be an invaluable resource when it comes to learning about an area or specific objective. They bring the best beta and save time that you might otherwise spend trying to decode the guidebook.

Guides are trained for safety & risk management

  • Safety and risk management is a top priority: AMGA guides are trained to recognize objective hazards, such as avalanche danger, rock fall potential, and bad weather, and they are drilled in self-rescue skills. Hiring a guide means you can rest easy knowing that you are in good hands: guides know how to mitigate risk, evaluate situations that arise, and respond to any incidents that may occur. 

Guides provide environmental & access awareness

  • Guides are hyper-aware of best practices to limit impacts on the environment and maintain the natural areas we recreate in for generations to come. Guides are also up-to-date on access considerations: hiring a guide gives you a window into local climbing access and ethics which helps maintain access to climbing areas for all. 

Guides are awesome people, funny, and have personal stories and learning experiences to share

  • Guides are a ton of fun! Everything you want from a climbing partner: supportive, enthusiastic, and always cracking jokes. Hiring a guide means you get to spend the day with an awesome person with lots of good stories and personal experiences to share. Ask and you shall receive!

We provide mentorship opportunities for recreational climbers and those looking to pursue professional guiding certifications:

  • Since 2003, Petra Cliffs' guides have been committed to taking AMGA (American Mountain Guides Association) courses and certification exams to advance their skills, adhere to industry best practices, and provide high-quality experiences. Our guides are educators and mentors, both for those who want stand-alone experiences and those who want to continue their climbing education either recreationally or professionally. The AMGA guide track can be split into three main categories of certification: Alpine, Rock, & Ski. Depending on an individual's chosen discipline(s), they might choose to pursue the ultimate certification of AMGA Alpine Guide, AMGA Rock Guide, AMGA Ski Guide, or all three! Each category of certification comes with its own required courses, exams, and assessments. Folks interested in instructing rock climbing will often start by taking a Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) course followed by the SPI exam. The Rock Guide Course is the next step and serves as the foundational course for all additional AMGA courses and categories of certification. More info about the AMGA Guide Track can be found here: https://amga.com/ifmga-mountain-guide/

  • For recreational mentorship, we recommend taking a series of Petra Cliffs courses and/or hiring a Private Guide to tailor your experience to what you want to focus on. 

  • The Petra Cliffs Guide Mentorship Program provides an opportunity for those seeking to pursue guiding professionally to gain mentorship and skills. The Petra Cliffs Mentorship Program offers a discounted guiding rate for those working towards training or certification to further their outdoor guide track. This discounted rate can be applied to 1:1 days out with a professional guide to help prepare individuals for the next steps in their guide track. Other opportunities for mentees may include shadowing Petra Cliffs programs, Q&A with guides, and additional resources for skill practice and development. As individuals progress along an AMGA Guide Track, mentorship will be tailored to their objectives, personal skill development, and career goals.

    After obtaining training and/or certification, individuals who have taken part in the Petra Cliffs Mentorship Program have the opportunity to be considered for employment with Petra Cliffs to guide within their scope of practice under the supervision of higher-level guides. 

    If you are interested in the Petra Cliffs Mentorship Program please email outdoor@petracliffs.com with your name, a little about your climbing background, and the training or certification you are hoping to pursue.

Mountaineering School FAQ’s

  • Registration in a Petra Cliffs outdoor program/course, private guiding, or other outdoor adventure:

    Includes: Professional rock guide and all technical climbing equipment (harness, helmet, shoes, belay devices, ropes and all other appropriate technical equipment).

    Does not include: Personal gear, food, water and clothing (see equipment list for what to bring), transportation to/from climbing locations.

  • Gratuity for the guides is not included in the booking price. Tipping is an individual decision and you will receive top-notch service regardless, however our guides do accept and appreciate tips (most commonly via cash or venmo). It is customary to tip the guides at the end of the day, and we recommend tipping 10-20% of the trip price which is common in the climbing and skiing industry. Please note that you are under no obligation to tip, but it is highly recommended.

  • For all guiding and courses Petra Cliffs provides the required technical climbing equipment (harness, helmet, shoes, belay devices, ropes and all other appropriate technical equipment). If you have your own gear feel free to bring it!

    All you need to bring is personal gear, food, water, and clothing (see course equipment list).

  • Make sure to read the course description thoroughly, any suggested prerequisites will be clearly listed. If you still have questions you can always email outdoor@petracliffs.com to see if a course would be a good fit.

  • Booking a private guide lets you customize the experience more: you get a say in where you go and what you cover. Private guiding also means there won’t be anyone besides you (and friends/family): you get the guides undivided attention.

    Signing up for a course can be a great way to learn in a small group and meet some new people. Courses are discipline specific and often follow set curriculum.

  • For most programs you will meet your guide at the parking lot for your objective of the day. This means you will need to provide or secure your own transportation to and from the meeting location. The exact meeting location will be provided by your guide prior to your day of guiding. PLEASE NOTE: Petra Cliffs is not able to provide transportation to and from meeting locations.

  • If Petra Cliffs must cancel your program due to current conditions or dangerous weather, we will either (1) pivot to working indoors at Petra Cliffs, (2) reschedule at no additional cost, or (3) refund your payment. Programs will run in most conditions; if needed, programs will alter destinations as some climbing areas stay more protected during inclement weather compared to others. If the weather becomes excessively foul while a program is underway, programs can pivot to moving indoors at Petra Cliffs or working on rope and technique skills under a sheltered outdoor area. There are many options for adapting program itineraries based on the weather while still getting good value from your time and guide.

  • If for any reason you must cancel your registration, you will receive a full refund if cancellation occurs up to two weeks before the program start date. If cancellation occurs less than two weeks before the start of the program, you can either receive a refund for 50% of the payment (minus an administrative fee, if applicable) or reschedule for a different date ($50 reschedule fee). If cancellation occurs less than 48 hours before the start of your program, or if you do not show up on the day of the course, full payment will be forfeited. This cancellation policy is in place to ensure that we can guarantee consistent work and pay for our guides. If you must cancel, please email outdoor@petracliffs.com or call the gym at (802) 657-3872 as soon as possible.